


New Adventures

by a_la_grecque



Category: Swallows and Amazons - Arthur Ransome
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-12-23
Updated: 2012-12-23
Packaged: 2017-11-22 01:57:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,259
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/604554
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/a_la_grecque/pseuds/a_la_grecque
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Bridget finds herself heading north again at the outbreak of war.</p>
            </blockquote>





	New Adventures

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Elennare](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Elennare/gifts).



> Thank you so much for the lovely request - I hope I have done it (and dear Bridget) justice.

Bridget was privately rather excited as the train rattled and shook its way north. She supposed she shouldn’t be, not really, after all _there was a war on, you know_ as people never seemed to tire of mentioning. Bridget didn’t have time to think about that though, she had too many other things to plan. It was strange to be going north with just Mother, but at least this time she was going to be the one going on adventures, instead of being left behind like so often in the past.

They went straight to Beckfoot from the train station, Sinbad and Polly protesting loudly at their continuing confinement once they were fetched from the guard’s van. Bridget felt a funny little pang of regret to be bypassing Holly Howe, and the boathouse where Swallow would be all shut away, with no Walkers to sail in her. Mrs. Blackett welcomed them handsomely when they finally arrived, but her face seemed creased with worry and once she got together with mother the pair of them turned horribly Native, fussing about sheets and curtains and all sorts of other silly things. 

Bridget escaped down to the lake as soon as she was able, casting longing glances at the Beckfoot boathouse where she knew Amazon would be waiting. She skipped down to the water’s edge, carrying the precious telescope John had given her for safekeeping just before he left on his new posting. She surveyed the islands, lingering over Wild Cat Island, anxiously checking for signs of occupation. There were none, of course, over the years the Amazons, Swallows and Ds had done a good job of staking their claim to the island and it was rarely disturbed. 

It had only been a month or two since they’d last camped there, but it had been an oddly unsatisfying experience for Bridget. Normally the others were very good about not pretending to be too grown up, but this last summer had been a little bit beset by gloom and foreboding, and a strange air of finality. Everything had started to change once the older ones left school, but they were still drawn back to the lake, to the island, and they had always managed to get together (more or less) for at least a week of glorious adventuring. Even Captain Nancy had been distracted by thoughts of what could happen in Europe this year though. 

Still, Bridget would have all the time in the world to make that right now. Maybe it was just her, but that was no reason not to plan some exciting expeditions. Even if she was covering ground the others had trodden before her, they’d never done it solo. And she was sure Titty would lend her Peter Duck if she happened to need a bit of companionship or an experienced deckhand. She was deep into her plans when she heard the big gong ring out and scampered back to the house for tea.

Mother dragooned her into unpacking after they’d eaten, another uncharacteristic fit of Native behaviour. She even produced an ancient, balding stuffed lamb once Bridget had arranged her things to her satisfaction and sat it on top of the blankets. Then she pulled Bridget into a big bear hug and somehow she didn’t mind all the Nativeness quite so much after that. 

“Bridgie, darling, are you sure you don’t mind about not going away to school this year?” 

Of course Bridget didn’t mind. “But where will I go to school, Rio?” 

Mother smiled. “Yes, I think so. But you’ll have to remember it has another name too.” 

“I’ll try,” said Bridget, who had privately resolved long ago never to use the other name. 

Before she knew it, it was time for bed, and she found herself spending her first night in Beckfoot. She’d been coming to the lake for almost her whole life, and yet she’d never slept in the Amazon settlement before. There were always more exciting places to be before, and now she was going to be calling it home. It just wasn’t familiar enough to her though, and sleep did not come easily. After an hour of tossing and turning she decided to creep downstairs and test out her pathfinding skills. After all, she was sure she would need to be able to find her way around in the dark at some point. 

She hesitated at the bottom of the stairs, hearing Mother and Mrs. Blackett deep in conversation. 

“Molly, I can’t thank you enough for agreeing to have us here. It means-“ 

“Oh, it’s the least I could do. You’re welcome here for as long as you like, although of course I hope it won’t be for too long. Besides, it’s nice to have the company now I’m left with an empty nest.” 

“Not for long, if this mandatory billeting of evacuees goes ahead,” Mother said. 

“We’ll see, we’ll see. Gosh, it hardly seems real.” 

“I know what you mean. That’s why I was so glad to get your letter. I’m sure we would have been just fine in Shotley but it all got so... scary. I know Ted’s been away before and I thought I was used to it, and the navy, but now he’s at war and John’s gone too it feels like we’ve just been playing at it for all these years.” 

“And now the children have gone away as well. At least you have Bridget still.” 

Mother gave a funny sort of sigh and Bridget felt a lump in her throat all of a sudden. 

“And Roger’s safe at school,” Mother said. I wanted him to come but now he’s dead set on joining the air force as soon as he turns eighteen… part of me wants to stop him, but I know it would be wrong.” 

“You couldn’t stop him even if you tried, at least I know I couldn’t with my two. Especially Nancy, and who knows where she is or what she’s up to. I can’t get anything out of her but I’m sure Jim’s involved too and it’s something terribly hush hush.” 

Mother made a sympathetic sort of noise. “Well, you know where Peggy is, at least. Although knowing it’s London isn’t necessarily much of a comfort.” 

Mrs. Blackett laughed, but it was a tight, nervous sort of laugh. “It’s a comfort knowing that she’s got Susan with her though, and Titty not so far away. I think she was glad when Susan said she was going to train as a nurse, she wouldn’t have known what to do otherwise.” 

“Ah, she just needed reminding that a ship’s mate should be a surgeon too.” 

Mrs. Blackett’s laugh was more genuine this time. “And that’s why I wanted you to come and stay with me. It will be so much easier to get through this together.” 

Bridget stole away at this point, and tucked herself back into bed. Sinbad had found his way into bed too and kept it nice and warm for her. She thought about her brothers and her father preparing to fight, and Susan and Peggy learning to be proper nurses, and Titty learning to drive and Nancy, well, she didn’t know what Nancy was up to either. She hadn’t thought much about what might happen to them beyond having adventures, she thought she knew what wars were all about after summers on the lake and down in Essex, but perhaps not. She was just thinking about how she might incorporate some Germans into her new plans when sleep finally claimed her. 


End file.
